This project aims to de-risk a breakthrough, new idea: the use of passive body-wave for subsurface monitoring. It offers an operator an option in enhanced subsurface management at a reduced cost, at frequent time intervals and with reduced environmental impact.
The collaboration project involves the young company Sisprobe and an industrial operator. Sisprobe is the leader in natural noise imaging and monitoring in Europe. Two technological advances have combined to create this new technology: firstly, the constant increase in the quality and efficiency of seismic receivers (geophones) at an ever lower price. Second, cloud computing has significantly reduced the cost and computing time required for the analysis of seismic data. All this has contributed to making the interpretation of passive seismic much more efficient and economically accessible.
The pilot experiment is to demonstrate the accuracy of information provided by a low cost passive seismic continuous monitoring technology in a chosen field under production or injection, using Sisprobe technology, during a short-term test using a two-patch set of arrays.
If a sufficient accuracy is demonstrated, the technology will be scaled-up for a long-term experiment to a full production scale.
Multiple fields of applications are possible: noise based seismic can be used to image and monitor from 10 meters below earth surface to a few kilometer depth. This could be applied to geothermal resources and CO2 storage, mineral exploration and mine safety and geotechnical engineering.
Find out more about Sisprobe
We have worked with Sophie Postif on developing this project, and she showed great insight into connecting the dots of the different technologies to achieve a new potential solution to fit the industries' needs.